Frame for reciprocating engines



PI 3U, T935. E. ATTESLANDER 1,999,350

FRAME FOR RECIPROGATING `ENGNES CDW km 111W *W ATI-n Fw EY.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 MS L April 30, 1935. E. ATTEsL-ANDER FRAME IFOR RECIPROCATING ENGINES Filed June 28, 1930 UNiTED incasso- FRAME FOR ECTHNG ENG i Edouard Atteslander, Winterthur, Switzerland, assigner to the drm oi Sulzer liirres Societe Anonyme, lNlntcrtliur, Swirlland Application June 28, i930, Seriai No. M4556 In Switmerd Au t. u

is f1.

IJihis invention relates to frames for reciprocat- 1` engines and particularly to the frames of vertical internal combustion engines, and has for its object to provide a frame which will be of n lighter but stronger construction than those i it r iii titi) internal combustion engine. It is well known in the art that in an internal combustion engine the operation of the pistons, connecting rods and produces an action and reaction tending to drive the cylinder casting in an upward dlreetion and the main bearing caps in a downd tion. As a means to take up this acreaction applicant has provided for each c i. bearing a one piece U-shaped tension mem'- 1 which supports both the crankshaft bearing i.; the cylinder casting, while at the same time 1 tting the tension stresses, the other parts oi frame being connected to the U-shaped member by stiening, or bracing members confr to the frame and to the U-shaped membei as by bolting, welding or riveting. Other stressw may be set up during the operation of the engine, such as the sidewise thrust of the c tweede in an engine, and these stresses plus the number oi tension stresses, which varies according to the number of cylinders, are taken up by the a piece IJ-shaped member. The U No ivi-1 band or strap may be of any desired girder section, for example, rectangular or 'i'- shs with the web directed either inwards or outwards; of cross-shape; channel sectionwith the anges directed either inwards or outwards,` or of double T-shaped or angular cross-section. The open end of the U-shaped member is preferably ci by means of a liner or insertion which y also be of any of the above-named girder sections and may be furnished with projections or shoulders engaging corresponding members on the U-shaped member so that the two together serve to transmit the forces above mentioned from the cylinder to the crankshaft bearing.

'The U-shaped member is preferably composed oi some material which can be forged, and has secured toit, as by welding, riveting or the like, not only the stiiieners or braces required for holding the whole frame together, but also similar members to give stability to the engine bed.

One construction of engine frame according to invention as applied to a vertical internal (Ci. limi-194i) combustion engine is diagrammatically illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation on a reduced scale showing :su Vitically the well known boxsection engine fe,

Figure 2 is a similar diagram illustrating a frame constructed in accordance with this invention,

Figure 3 is a vertical section on the line III-III of Figure t showing one form of frame according to the invention,

Figure t is a section on the line l'V-IV of Figure 3 showing the exhaust side of the machine,

Figure 5 is a cross-section on the line V--V of Figure s,

Figure Gris a cross-section on the line VI-VI of Figure 3, and the detail views a to h inclusive in Figure 6 show various cross-sections of the U-shaped member and liner cooperating therewith. Fig. 7 is a view showing elimination oi sepa-l rate cross-head guides; and

Figs. 8, 9, and 10 show, respectively, bolted, riveted and welded connections, all equivalent.

This invention maires use of a U-shaped member or strap i for taking up and transmitting the tension stresses set up in the frame structure of the engine when the engine is operated. These stresses are set up by the expansion or explosion in the cylinders i and from the acceleration in the piston connecting rods it.

It will be seen from Figure 3 that the cylinder is connected to the U-shaped member i by means of bolts t which pass through bosses t and t. The bosses on the end cylinders are cast in one with these cylinders as a single unit, whilst the bosses t between adjacent cylinders are formed of two halves i, one on each cylinder, connected by bolts t passing through suitable lugs t by which the various cylinders are connected together.

The pistons i@ which reciprocate in the cylinders t transmit the force exerted on them through piston rods ii, crossheads it and connecting rods it to the cranks it of the engine shaft it which is supported in bearings i secured in the base of the U-shaped member i. The bearing caps it are held against the brasses i by keys ii engaging grooves in the cap and iJ- shaped member.

it its upper or open end the U-shaped member i is closed by a liner or like body it which may be of, say, double T-shape cross-section, so

arranged that the flanges constitute the guides i9 for the crossheads I2. The liner I8 can be constructed with projecting shoulders 2i which interlock with corresponding projecting shoulders of the U-shaped member I. The liner I8 may be secured to the lower portion of the cylinder by means of bolts 22. With such a vconstruction it is possible for some of the forces set up during the operation of the engine to be transferred from the cylinder through this liner I8 to the U-shaped member.

The stiiening of the frame necessary for its stability and to hold the U-shaped member in place, is secured by the provision of a latticelike series of plates 23 and 3l. 'Ihe lower part of this lattice-like structure takes the whole weight of the engine and constitutes a base having a bottom surface 24, the individual vertical or oblique plates supporting the engine weight being held together by a plate, plates or ties 25 completing the bottom part of the frame and extending transversely to the engine and the plates. The various parts of the lattice-like structure can be connected by bolting, welding, riveting or the like, as shown, respectively, in Figs. 8, 10, and 9, where |00, IOI, and |02, respectively, indicate the various forms of connection.

The casing 26 of the frame can be made completely to enclose the moving parts of the engine, being conveniently formed of sheet metal secured by riveting, welding or the like to the lattice-like structure 23. -Between the U-shaped member I on each side of the frame, doors 21 (Figure 5) are provided in the sheet metal plating 26, thus ensuring ready accessibility to the moving par'ts of the engine. The engine illustrated is assumed to be a marine engine supported on a bearing surface 24 between which and the double bottom of the ship 29 packing rails 28 are provided wherever supporting frames 30 between the inner and outer bottoms of the ship are furnished. As the ships bottom 29 also serves as the base of the crank casing of the engine, the packing strips 28 further serve to prevent losses of oil which would otherwise escape over the floor of the engine room.

Instead of the U-shaped member being of the rectangular cross-section shown in Figure 5, it may of course be of any girder section, the liner being similarly varied. Several examples are shown in cross-section in the views-in.Figure 6 at a to h inclusive, where the U-shaped member is illustrated as being of T-section with the web directed either inwards or outwards, of crosssection, of channel section with the web directed both inwards and outwards, of double T or H- section, or of T-section built up of two channelshaped members so that the web` is directed either inwards or outwards.

A frame for internal combustion engines made in accordance with this invention renders it possible, independently of technical constructional considerations, to use shapes dimensioned in accordance with the stresses set up or derived from the above-named tensile forces on the individual parts, or to use for individual parts a material most suited to the particular stress they have to meet. It also makes it possible to transmit the forces in the chief frame not, as hitherto, along a more or less unfavourable indirect curvedpath which produces great additional stresses in the frame as in Figure 1, but along the simplest straight path between the cylinders and the bearing as in Figure 2 Further, a frame so constructed for internal combustion engines is lighter, of greater strength, can be more quickly manufactured, and is particularly suitable for use in ships or for aircraft or vehicle engines where the smallest total weight is of particular importance.

I claim:

1. In a vertical internal combustion engine comprising a bed, crank shaft, crankshaft bearings, cylinders, pistons, crossheads and a supporting frame, said supporting frame including a. substantially U-shaped member open at one end thereof and made in a single piece, said U- shaped member supporting both the cylinders and crank shaft and extending from below the crank shaft to thebottom of the cylinders, said crank shaft being mounted in said bearings in the bend of said U-shaped member and said cylinders detachably but rigidly mounted at their base to the open end of said U-shaped member, and bracing members in said supporting frame extending from the outside bottom of the bend of said U-shaped member to the engine bod, and suitably interconnected as a unit to said U- shaped member.

2. In the combination set forth in claim 1, insertable liner attached near the upper end of said open end of said U-shaped member, said liner having projecting shoulders on its outer periphery, said U-shaped member having corresponding projecting shoulders for engaging with the shoulders of said liner.

3. In a vertical internal combustion engin comprising a bed, crank shaft, crank shaft bearings, cylinders, pistons, crossheads, and a supporting frame, said supporting frame including a plurality of substantially U-shaped members open at one end thereof and made in a single piece, said U-shaped members supporting both the cylinders and crank shaft and extending from below the crank shaft to the bottom of the cylinders, said crank shaft being mounted in said bearings in the bend of said U-shaped members and said cylinders detachably but rigidly mounted at their base to the open end of said U-shaped members, and bracing members in said supporting frame extending from the outside bottom of the bend of said U-shaped members to the engine bed, and suitably interconnected as a unit to said U-shaped member.

4. In a vertical internal combustion engine comprising a bed, crank shaft, crank shaft bearings, cylinders, pistons, crossheads, and a supporting frame, including a substantially U-shaped member open at one end thereof and made in a single piece to take the action and reaction of said cylinders and crank shaft bearingsand to secure the cylinders and crank shaft bearing! rigidly to said frame, said U-shaped member extending from below the crank shaft to the bottom of the cylinders, said crank shaft being mounted in said bearings in the bed of said U- shaped member, and said cylinders detachably but rigidly mounted at their base to the open end of said U-shaped member.

5. A frame for use with a reciprocating engine, comprising a cylinder, a crank shaft and a piston operatively connected to the crankshaft mounted to rotate within a suitable bearing, an outer frame or casing, a U-shaped member, said U- shaped member consisting of a steel forging adapted to connect the cylinder to the bearing to take up the forces transmitted from the cylinder to said bearingI during the operation of the engine, and bracing'fmembers comprising a lat- '7. A frame for vertical internal combustion andother reciprocating engines, comprising a cylinder, a crank shaft bearing, a U-shaped member, said U-shaped member consisting of a steel forging adapted to take up the transmission of forces from the cylinder to the crank shaft bearing during the operation of the engine, and stiil'ening or bracing members comprising a lattice-like structure suitably connecting said U-shaped member to said frame, said frame and stiirening members being connected to each other by means of welding.

8. A frame for vertical internal combustion and other reciprocating engines, comprising a cylinder, a crank shaft bearing, a UV-shaped member, said U-shaped member consisting of a steel forging adapted to take up the transmission of forces from the cylinder to the crank shaft bearing during the operation of the engine, and stiffening or bracing members comprising a lattice-like structure suitably connecting said U- shaped member to said frame, said frame and stiffening members being connected to each other by means of rivets.

9. In a vertical internal combustion engine, comprising a cylinder, a crank shaft bearing a U-shaped member adapted to take up the transmission of forces from the cylinder to the crank shaft bearing during the operation of the engine, a frame supporting the engine cylinder, and stiiIening members connecting the said U-shaped vmember to said frame, said U-shaped member `consisting of a weldable material.

10. In a vertical internal combustion engine, comprising a bed, crank shaft, crank shaft bearings, cylinders, pistons, crossheads and a supporttice-like structure connecting said U-shapedv ing frame, said supporting frame including a sub-- stantially U-shaped member'consisting of a weldable material and open at one end thereof and made in a single piece, said U-shaped member supporting both the cylinders and crank shaft and extending from below the crank shaft to the bottom of the cylinders, said crank shaft being mounted in said bearings in the bend of said U-shaped member and said cylinders detachably but rigidly mounted at their base to the open end of said U-shaped member and bracing members extending from said U-shaped member to the frame, weldably connected to the U-shapedmember and the frame.

11. In a vertical internal combustion engine, comprising a bed, crank shaft, crank shaft bearings, cylinders, pistons, crossheads and a supporting frame, said supporting frame including a substantially U-shaped member of steel forging open at one end thereof and made in a single piece, said U-sha'ped member supporting both the cylinders and crank shaft and extending from below the crank shaft to the bottom of the cylinders, said crank shaft being mounted in said bearings in the bend of said U-shaped member and said cylinders detachably but rigidly mounted at their base to the open end of said U-shaped member, and bracing members extending from the outside of said U-shaped member to the engine frame. and welded to said U-shaped member.

12. In a vertical internal combustion engin comprising a bed, crank shaft. crank shaft bearings, cylinders, pistons. crossheads and va. supporting -frame, said supporting frame including a substantially U-shaped member consisting of a weldable material and open at one end thereof and made in a single piece, said U-shaped member supporting both the cylinders and crank shaft and extending from below the crank shaft to the bottom of the cylinders, said crank shaft being mounted in said bearings in the bend of said U-shaped member and said cylinders detachably but rigidly mounted at their base to the open end of said U-shaped member, and bracing members in said supporting frame extending from the outside bottom of the bend of` said U-shaped member to the engine bed and welded to said U-shaped member.

EDOUARD A'ITESLANDER. 

